Gears of War 3 Review:

Gears of war 3, epics conclusion to what has undoubtedly been an epic franchise and Xbox 360’s iconic I.P. Gears picks up shortly after the events of 2, leaving delta squad in a more harrowing position than they have previously faced. With humanity on the brink of destruction, locust grasping at any straw to ensure their own survival as a species, it is undoubtedly a mass free for all for life on sera! Gears story in the past has been somewhat dull lacking colour and imagination, however gears 3 delivers a much more engrossing story, allowed through excellent pacing and fantastic cover-based combat.

No major changes have occurred within the gameplay of gears itself, then again the previous games played excellently, there are however new enemy types- the lambent. Whilst playing a role in gears 2 they are now the main protagonist that Marcus and delta squad will face throughout the game. New weapons include the digger, a highly explosive weapon which causes cover to become non-existent in the hands of the right person, as well as the retro lancer. There are a few frame rate hitches, but nothing major that would ruin anybody’s gameplay experience. The chainsaw is back so bring a bottle of WD40, gotta’ prevent that rust after all!
The character’s in gears get much more room to grow, in particular Dom, still grieving from the loss of his wife, Cole attempting to deal with his decline from fame, it leads to a much more realised vision of what maybe epic were attempting to portray throughout but hadn’t quite nailed, this is undoubtedly the most complete gears single player experience has been.

New game modes, include beast mode as well as the inclusion of arcade single player giving longevity to the single player as well as 4 player co-op, adding more gameplay options to what is without doubt a fantastic sole play through experience. Co-op does add to the experience but don’t think without another 3 players your experience will decline. Team mates for the most part revive and actively assault combatants. Sadly there are times when downed; it appears team mates could possibly use a trip to the optician in order to see you on your knees at the mercy of the locust horde.

The multiplayer offers the same modes as previous gears, which include execution, team death match, capture the leader and king of the hill, as well as horde mode which has also seen upgrades. The multiplayer seems much more refined, with highly competitive, enthralling and addictive combat, meaning you’ll be itching for more active reloads! Just make sure you have the shotgun at the ready!

In conclusion, Gears 3 is the most complete package the gears series has seen with a much more refined story, added character depth; as well as a fantastic array of multiplayer modes to quote the Cole-train gears 3 is truly “in the zone baby.” Just avoid those hideous weapon skins!

5/5 !!

Climbing The Ladder Of Success

The THQ developed Smackdown games may be considered by many distinctly average and the same old shit recycled every year. Well since WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2007 came out they have been right until now.
This year’s game features the following:

• Over 70 Superstars
• A ton of match types
• A match creator
• Brand new Havok physics engine
• WWE Universe mode
• 5 Road to Wrestlemania stories
• Improved online
• 12 man online Royal Rumble
• Community creations

What surprised me the most in this game was the new physics engine. The tables, ladders and chairs now react more realistically to the way the player interacts with them. Objects can now be lent up against anything in the arena now; this is particularly fun when you want to create some great spots e.g. While I was playing a TLC triple threat match online I lend two tables against and across the steel steps at the side of the ring. Just when I am about to slam my opponent through my diabolical structure, my move gets reversed into a suplex and I go through two tables and land on some steel steps. Another cool feature is instead of the destruction disappearing into thin air like nothing happened; shards of wood would now lie at the scene of the crime.

The WWE Universe mode makes the game have more of a purpose. Unlike previous games exhibition matches would only be there for fun. Now however they will have huge impacts on the overall game. Rivalries and friendships can start at the blink of an eye. Tag teams will be formed and disbanded, Titles will exchange hands but only after you have fought you way to the number 1 contender spot. Wrestlers can and will interrupt you entrances or match's; this can cause a chain reaction either people coming out to save your ass or laying the smackdown on you. Of course this mode can be turned off but I see no benefit from doing so.

My favorite part of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 is the online; whether it is in the shape of a 12 man Royal Rumble or a closely fought one on one. These matches are made far more entertaining due to the extremely talented creators in the community. Where else would you get to see a match between Duke Nukem, Jeff Hardy, Hulk Hogan and Batman? Any one that you can think of can probably be found and download through the search bar.

Of course the game has problems like in previous titles with the sometimes completely stupid AI, the automatic targeting system can be a pain as you will often hit the wrong person and the physics engine has the occasional WTF! just happened there moment. But all being said it is on the right road to truly becoming a great wrestling franchise once more; and that the bottom line!......sorry couldn't resist.

4/5

Heavy Rain Review

After enjoying Quantic Dreams previous title- the Indigo Prophecy, i was needless to say, very much looking forward too heavy rain(not just because i enjoy a good soaking) but as it truly looked like something not available in the ever increasing world of R.P.G and F.P.S titles which seem to take up all shelf space in stores.

Heavy Rain has delievered on many of these promises, of truly driving the story and of creating your on characters personalities.A key moment being just after the beggining, your character Ethan can have either a beer, or a glass of orange juice. Surely your thinking, well how does that add to the development of a character. The creation of a alcoholic, through events which occured previously lead you, not the game too add depth to the character something not many games allow for.The gameplay within Heavy Rain, is virtually the same as the previous outting, the Indigo Prophecy with on-screen prompts telling you which button to hit in order for actions to occur on screen. If you don't press the correct button, your character may, fall, get arrested, be shot etc, leading to the story being altered rather than having too restart like in other titles.

This leads to a frantic pace, as you know each wrong button press may lead to fatal consequences. Whilst its quite a trivial idea it works quite well, as the acting, cutscenes, Voice-overs (except the kids attempting American accents) are all done quite excellently. However, actual exploration is done via holding down the R2 button and changing camera angles using L1. This leads to some problems within the Heavy Rain universe. The switching of camera leads your character to turn in the opposite direction, stop or get stuck at certain inanimate objects which can be frustrating at times, but wont really ruin the overall expierence of the game.

The game revolves around 5 main characters, with the plot taking some very interesting twists and turns, both down to your own decisions and to the story-driven nature of the game. Moments such as driving down motorways on the wrong-side or the road, too seen those lovely 3D boobs will leave your palms sweating... and maybe a bit more, with young Madison Paige on the scene.Heavy Rain, unlike Quantic Dreams previous title, does not attempt to distort the actual plot, which i think is commendable, as there is undoubtely moments when the story could of become something out of a Stephen King novel.Instead however, Heavy Rain sticks to a quite belivable plot, and with more than 22 endings its a game that you wont mind getting stuck out in the rain for! 4/5

2009 Top Ten Games.

It's offically 2010, and the dawn of robot maids, Inter-galactic space travel and floating toasters on the horizon what better way to start it than to look back, look back at the year of gaming known as 2009.There were of course some stunning games to be realeased this.... sorry last year on all platforms, but it still left me with the feeling of wanting more.However! that being said i still have managed to rustle up my top 10 games of the past 12 gaming months:

Number 10: Fifa 10. As a life long pes fan, up until recently fifa had never been able to scratch my itch for footballing gaming, just like the old pes used to.But the past two installments of this game of been utterly absorbing, with life like animations, great goals, fantastic graphics and a solid online component, fifa 10 sneaks into my top 10 this year.

Number 9: Left 4 Dead 2. When i heard that another left 4 dead game was annouced i was quite sceptical about once again taking on the zombie horde one more time(isnt once in your life enough!?!).But with refinements in the gameplay added with weather effects, new weapons and a goddamn CHAINSAW! left 4 dead 2 had me craving that boomer juice one more time.

Number 8: Modern warfare 2: I was a huge fan of infinity wards previous outings so i was naturally very excitied when the time had come for me to finally get my grubby hands on their new mammoth of a shooter, and after cueing for 8pm to get a midnight copy, and the impending red bull filled nights of haunting down more men bent on destroying the world i was duely satisfied, if not exhausted at the sheer pace and sheer craziness of this game, it was as if they'd all been forced to watch every Chuck Norris movie and then instantly deciding.... lets go crazy!But yes, it was well worth the ride.

Number 7: Infamous: I for one love me some superhero's, everything from the powers to the world, and infamous helped create a truly stunning open world with a great amount of diversity coupled with a great story with some truly unexpected twists.This was a game i would highly recommend for anyone looking to cause some havoc and shoot electric from their hands!

Number 6: Assassin's Creed 2: The 1st assassin's creed was a flawed game, which i for one was able to look past as a result of its highly ambitious nature.Assassin's Creed 2 however, refines the constant drudgery that was find a guy, kill him and do it again.The story is now much more engaging and missions no longer having the repetive feel, and along with the economic system Assassin's Creed 2 has left me craving a sequel thanks to the refinements in both the story and the gameplay.

Number 5: Red Faction Guerilla: This wont be this high on many, if anyone's list but for me this whilst, slightly repetitive, was nothing more than FUN! That's a hard thing to do in a video game these days but the abilty to watch 20 foot bulidings coallpse to the floor,whilst walking away at a methodical pace with the surrounding area in utter chaos was something not many games did or can do to a satisfying level... Red Faction does it well, very well indeed.If you like to watch stuff blow up look no further!

Number 4: Burnout Paradise:The Ultimate Box: Incase you couldnt tell from my 1st blog entry i like me some burnout, I LIKE IT ALOT! Racing games havent been this much fun to me well... since ever! With over 74 cars, bikes and trucks combined with the open world, great soundtrack (minus Avril Lavigne's song Girlfriend) Burnout really is a must own, i never played it when it was originally released in 08' but im glad i finally got behind the wheel of this one, truly a magnificent game... If u like driving fast and i do mean fast, Burnout is the game for you!

Number 3: And the bronze medal goes to..... Uncharted 2: This game is nothing short of an incredible rollercoaster ride, which might along the way cause you to throw up because your being dragged from one incredible sequence to the next at a truly breakneck speed.The main protaganist Drake is a likeable, guy almost a rip-off of a young Indiana Jones.The plot is engaging, and with great cutscences and top notch presentation values Uncharted 2 has entered Uncharted waters in terms of were gaming is going.

Number 2: Dragon Age Origins: This was a tough decision to make this the number two game of 2009.From the opening cutscene i knew this was going to be something spectacular(and time consuming, i dont like to think how much of my life this game took from me.The world of Ferrelden truly gripped me like no other RPG i've played in a long time. The great dialouge trees fantastic diversity in characters as well as a very good combat system and the endless amounts of sidequests armour and weapons to be had made me truly contemplate ever breathing fresh air again as i slayed one darkspawn after another in an attempt to cleanse the land.The daunting part however is, i HAVE to play it again in order to see the other endings, truly a remarkable game from bioware.

Number 1: Batman Arkham Asylum: This for me is the best that 2009 had to offer. The fantastic pacing of this game, great voicework, excellent combat system and fantastic boss fights made me drewl at every minute i spent held captive with the craziest that gotham city had to throw at me. This more than any truly made me a fan of Batman and the world.Joker is potrayed remarkably well by Mark Hamill and for me is the stand out role within this universe. This more than any game engaged me.This is a most own not just for comic book fans, but for video game fans in general!

Well, thats my top ten agree? Disagree? Either way let me know!

It's better to BURNOUT! than fade away.

Recently picked up Burnout paradise for a tenner, and although driving games aren't my thing in the slightest i have to admit that so far this game has been the most fun i've had in a long while. The soundtrack to the game is amazing from GnR, to Soundgarden, the open world feel leads to a lot of unpredictablity, with each race easily becoming a scene from destruction derby (or i just am really bad at driving). Many games try to be open world and simply fail but this added dimension of freedom within the burnout world helps to make driving that much more intense and exhilratiing. The variety of cars is immense, from big ass trucks to the nimble porche types. But all in all, and this coming from me a avid HATER of racing games Burnout is a must own, so seriously all u guys and girls and people in between go get it! :D

The 1st of many to come.

Hello, i've never really did anything like this so along the way there will some hitches but bare with me, and enjoy the ride. Will begin to fill the blog with playlists of games im playing, news, reviews and other really random stuff that i enjoy and i hope you too shall, and if not im time once i take over the world through blogging you'll be forced to anyway.